Why Pirates' Appointment of Abdeslam Ouaddou Falls Short, 2 Other Coaches Suggested

Orlando Pirates have appointed Abdeslam Ouaddou as their new coach following Jose Riveiro’s departure from the club this summer.

The Spaniard was with the Soweto giants for three seasons, winning five titles in the process.

Several coaches were linked with the coaching role at the Bucs when it was still vacant, but the Sea Robbers went for the former Marumo Gallants coach instead.

There have been mixed reactions from fans and pundits concerning the appointment of the Moroccan tactician.

Pirates criticised for appointing Ouaddou

Moses Mbogo, in a chat with Briefly News, explained why Pirates’ decision to appoint Ouaddou as their new coach is not impressive enough.

“Respect to Ouaddou for what he did with Marumo Gallants for a short period last season, but I don’t think he’s done enough to replace Riveiro at Pirates,” he said.

“He might end up proving some of us who are not in agreement with his appointment as the Bucs coach, but the truth still stands: Pirates are now one of the top teams on the continent and needed to make a statement with their coaching choice.

“Ouaddou still needs to prove himself on the big stage, but he would be using Pirates for that experiment now, and if it works out, then good for both the manager and the club.

“They have Mamelodi Sundowns to deal with, a team with a coach who has been in back-to-back CAF Champions League finals and winning the Betway Premiership in style, even when Riveiro was around. So, it would be a big challenge for Ouaddou next season, and I hope he doesn’t end up like Manqoba Mngqithi.”

Mbogo then named two South African coaches who should’ve been considered by the Pirates board instead of Ouaddou.

“I think one of Rulani Mokwena or Pitso Mosimane would’ve been a better option than Ouaddou as Pirates' new boss,” he added.

“Those two have dominated the Premier Soccer League and they’ve done big things on the continent too, especially Mosimane.

“They both know how to hurt their former club Sundowns and displace them from being the kings of the South African league.

“Next season will be an interesting one for all the teams, but the focus will be more on Pirates, as their new boss will be under serious scrutiny.”

Source: Briefly News